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Get Audubon School keepsakes

AUDUBON -- Want a piece of the woodwork from the old Lake Park-Audubon Elementary school building for your very own?

Make them an offer! The LP-A School Board took action at its regular meeting Monday to set Tuesday, May 24 as the date for opening up the old 1922 school building to prospective bidders.

Former students who attended school in the 89-year-old building will be invited to make bids for the purchase of a memento from their alma mater.

"The Lake Park-Audubon Board of Education has made arrangements to accept bids on some of the woodwork, cabinets and lockers in the 1922 building," wrote LP-A Superintendent Dale Hogie in a Tuesday news release.

Bids will be accepted from 6 to 9 p.m. May 24. Bidders will be provided with a bidding document, which they will be asked to fill out after touring the building and deciding what they would like to keep.

"Due to liability concerns, winning bidders will not be responsible for removing their items from the 1922 building," Hogie wrote.

"Items will be removed from the 1922 building by an employee of the school district and placed in a designated area in the school. Minimum bids have been established to cover the cost of removal.

"Winning bidders will be responsible to pay for and remove their items from the designated area on June 3."

Demolition of the 1922 facility will begin on Monday, June 6, to make way for the new entrance, lobby and central office area that will be the focal point for the newly remodeled and expanded elementary school.

"Everything has to be out on June 6," said LP-A Elementary Principal Sam Skaaland.

"Teachers began moving their supplies into the new classrooms today," he told board members on Monday, referring to those instructors whose classrooms were housed in the 1922 building and are now being relocated into the newly completed addition.

In fact, Skaaland's own office will have to be vacated by June 3.

Between that time and now, Skaaland will also be busy planning several upcoming events at the school, particularly the May 23 School History Day.

"It seems like a lot to accomplish in the next two weeks," Skaaland said, "but we can do it."

Some items from the 1922 school will be retained by the district, Hogie noted -- but bricks from the structure will be made available to the public at no cost once the demolition is complete.

As many of these positions were funded through an Alternative Delivery Grant, which has not yet been renewed for 2011-12, the district opted to terminate the teachers' contracts now, then re-hire them as the funding became available.

 Approved contracts for roughly $9,635 in asbestos abatement and removal at the elementary school site, to be completed by MAAC, Inc., of Montevideo.

 Approved the purchase of 25 refurbished computers and monitors for the elementary and high school media centers, at a cost of $11,277.

 Approved the purchase and installation of a new phone system for the elementary building from Arvig Communications Systems, at a cost of $17,422.

 Approved a quote of $4,874 from Noah's Home Furnishings for purchase and installation of new carpeting in four areas of the elementary building.

Staff writer at Detroit Lakes Newspapers for the past 16 years, currently editor of the entertainment and community pages as well as covering city council and the Lake Park-Audubon School Board. Living in DL with my cat, Smokey.